The Challenge of Enticing Power

Last Sunday, July 21, we continued our exploration of the book of Acts.  Shortly after His resurrection Jesus sat with His gathered disciples and He said to them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  John baptized with water, but in few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.  You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:4-5, 8)

That is how the book of Acts begins.  The remainder of the book of Acts records exactly how the Holy Spirit worked and how the disciples bore witness to what the Spirit did.   It was not always smooth sailing, as attempting to live a life of faithful witness to the gospel of Christ comes with a variety of challenges.  In last Sunday’s text we considered the challenge of living in a culture that may well prove unfriendly to cultivating a life of faith.  The culture in which we find ourselves often has a very different set of priorities than that of following God’s ways.  Confronted with unfriendly authorities who insisted that Peter and John refrain from teaching about Jesus, from even using His name, their answer was, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!  As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20) It is the choice confronting us.  Who will we listen to?

This coming Sunday, July 28, we will continue to articulate the challenges the book of Acts lays out before us.  Doing this with each other provides a context of mutual encouragement and strengthening.  This next Sunday we will be looking at Acts 8:9-25 and the challenge of thinking that power and money are the real solution to life’s problems.  They are enticing and hard to resist.  Wendell Berry, the Kentucky farmer and author, reminds us that we are constantly bombarded with the lie that “what is good for the economy is good.”  Berry’s thought is an echo of the apostle Paul’s caution that, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.  It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”  (I Timothy 6:10)

Once more I encourage you to remember Pastor Brian Johnson and his family in prayer that this time of sabbatical would be a rich blessing for them.  Again, I look forward to be with you this coming Sunday for worship and fellowship. Blessings, Paul Walles

Scripture for Next Sunday: Acts 8: 9-25